Microbiota - NGS platform

Biofortis Microbiota-NGS platform

One of the most revolutionary advances in the life sciences area these last years has been the realization that human live in a symbiotic way with several microbial communities. It is now particularly well documented that these communities have a central role in multiple human pathologies and more largely in human health.

To answer the growing demand of studying mechanisms of interactions between these bacterial flora and their environment and how microflora impact biological functions, Biofortis offer complete services in microbiota monitoring in several areas: gut, skin and oral health.

Our experimented scientists in charge of this platform are continuously involved in public-private collaborative project and transnational research programs.

Gut Health

With the increase in the incidence of inflammatory chronic metabolic diseases, the way in which diet, probiotics, food supplement… impact health is of major concern. In parallel, we also need to elucidate the matter of “personalized nutrition”, related to the variability of response to a certain diet, or treatment. Beside genetic features, one major host determinant in human health is gut microbiome.

Microbiota unbalance has severe consequences on energy intake from diet (obesity), inflammatory processes and host immune function. This is why taking the gut microbiota features into account will help to define its impact and interactions with the host, a product, a therapy, a disease, and to define personalized nutrition.

With more than 1 thousand scientific papers published worldwide each year and the proliferation of human microbiome projects, gut microbiota study is one of the most promising fields in health investigation in this century, especially because of the technological improvement of the investigational tools.

Skin Health

Our skin is permanently protected by microorganisms to defense against pathogens and contribute to skin integrity. This beneficial ecosystem is called skin microbiota (flora).

In a similar way, skin microbiota imbalance can cause skin disorders (dermatitis, acne…). Facing our lifestyles (nutrition, environment), medication and exposure of our body to everyday stressors (pollution, UV, smoke, cosmetics…), new generation of products are now developed to better respect and/or enhance this natural protection that is our microbiota.

Bioinfo

Sequence processing

Quality control of reads

Taxonomy assignments

Clustering

Analyses on preclinical samples

Considering numerous similarities in terms of genetics and physiology between animal and humans, animal models, especially murine, are widely used in microbiome research.

These last years, Biofortis has been requested for several studies on animals to assess the role and functioning of the gut microbiota and its association with diseases:

Impact of specific nutrition on gut microbiota

Preclinical testing of alternative treatment to antibiotherapy

Effect of chemotherapy on PDX model

Research Program

As one of the original partners in this consortium, Biofortis Mérieux NutriSciences brings its experience in clinical trial management and its scientific knowledge in microbiota research.

The first objective is to coordinate the clinical study from 7 French clinical centers, for the recruitment of patients presenting several types of cancer: breast, ovary, liver and prostate. A stool and blood biobank associated with patient’s medical information will be generated, clinically characterized and standardized for biospecimen provider.

The second role is to explore the relationship between gut microbiota and cancer, and to identify the impact of pharmacological treatment on microbiota from patients and PDX models. This longitudinal microbiota study is realized before and after chemotherapy. The main objective is to identify “microbiota biomarkers” for cancer research.

This project will help in better understanding the microbiota statement in cancer initiation, cancer development and the response to several chemotherapy agents and to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological treatment. This new approach should help to develop therapeutic approach to limit the side effect of chemotherapy.